Self-balancing mechanism for producing gyratory motion



B. NEAL AND G. H. HEBEBRAND.

SELF BALANCING MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING GYRATORY MOTION. APPLICATION FILED MAII. I6. |922.

SQQQQL Patented Oct. 3l, i922.

5 I www. 863 '65?@5/ /7 3.50/5 y C afomey Patented @et El, i922.

leidt-9252 BURTON NEAL, 0F ST. LOUIS, AND GEORGE H. HEBEBRAND, OF KINLOCH, MISSOURI.

SELF-BALANCING MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING GYRATORY MOTION.

Application filed March 16, 1922. Serial No. 544,090.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, BURTON NEAL and Grenen H. Hnnnnaivn, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, and in Kinloch, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri,y respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements n Self-Balancing Mechanism for Producing (lyratory Motion, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to a novel driving mechanism for use in producing gyratory movement, and relates to novel mechanism for carrying out the same principle of operation broadly set forth and claimed in our co-pending application Ser. No. 530,089, vfiled January 13th, 1922. The use of this novel mechanism also involves a novel principle of operation whereby the general objects of the invention are attained.

The invention is particularly adapted for application to machines for sifting flour, wherein a gyratory motion is utilized for causing the travel of the stock over the various sieves, and in the drawing the invention is illustrated in connection with a plansifter type of machine.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel driving mechanism for producing a gyratory movement of a body, such as a sifting machine, which will be self-balancing from the start to the maximum number ot revolutions provided for.

Stated more in detail, it is a principal object of the invention to provide novel driving mechanism lin which the driving part `shall aways occupy a fixed or centered position, while the driven part of the mechauism, including the body to which the gyratory motion is to be imparted, shall, in operation, be gradually thrown off center so that its central median line or axis shall travel in a circular path. By the use of the novel mechanism hereinafter described for attaining' the above stated object, the gyratory movement is initiated and maintained with the minimum of irregular motions or vibrations thus minimizing, or practically eliminating all strain from this cause on the building, or machine.

A further object of the invention is the provision of driving mechanism involving the use of a rolling weight for producing a concentric movement of the axis of the driven body relative to the axis of the driving mechanism or shaft, and the provision of a compensating connection between the driving and driven mechanism operated by said weight, whereby to prevent relative displacement between the driving and driven mechanism.

A further object of the invention relates to the provision of novel means for controlling the outward throw or movement of the rolling weight in proportion to the speed of rotation of the body to be gyrated, whereby the off-center position of the axis of the latter relative to a vertical drive shaft, shall be gradually assumed, thus preventing irregular or uneven movement of the body with consequentv excessive vibration.

lith the general and special objects in view, the invention comprises a rolling weight which is adapted to roll outward under the action of centrifugal force, a member movably mounted on the driven shaft of the body to be gyrated and connected with a vertical drive shaft, a cable attached to said movable member and wound about a reduced portion of said weight, whereby as the driven body assumes aneccentric path of movement under the action of the weight, the said movable member will be correspondingly moved in an opposite direction under the influence of said weight, thus maintainingthe same relative position between the driving part or shaft of the mechanism and its connection with the driven part, at all times.

The invention further comprises the employment of cables passed once around the larger diameter of the rolling weight at either end thereof and. secured at opposite ends to the `support for the weight,which act as guides to insure that the weight shall roll with its axis at right angles to its line of movement, thus preventing any binding of the weight which would restrict its free movement in either direction, as well as insuring the rolling and unrolling of the operating cable thereon in the space allotted for it.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a view of a multiple plansitter provided with our improved driving mechanism.l the parts being shown in the relative positions they occupy with the machine in motion, and illustrating particularly the eccentric relation of the driving shaft to the driven shaft;

Figure 2 is a top plan view illustrating CIK the plate or support mounted on the driven shaft of the plan-sifter and having mounted thereon a rolling Weight for producing gyratory movement, and around which is Wound a cord one end of which is attached to the compensating member of the driving mecha* nism, the weight being` shown in the position it occupies with the machine at rest,

Figure 3 isa similar view showing the position of the parts when the machine is in motion;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation on an enlarged scale of the rolling weight, With the coml'iensatingcable and guide cables ap plied thereto; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates generally, a multiple plansifter machine of the Vtype described and illustrated in a prior patent to Burton Neal, No. 1,368,326, dated February th, 1921, said machine being suspended from its four corners as usual with plan-sifter machines, by means of wooden rods 2. The machine, as shown, comprises two sections of sieves indicated by dotted lines at 3, and between these sections at the center of the machine, a vertical space 4 is provided through which extends a driven shaft 5. Mounted on the top and bottom of the machine centrally thereof, are castings 6 and T, respectively, which provide bearings for opposite ends of the driven shaft 5, the upper casting preferably embodying a ball-bearing 8 for the upper end of said shaft. Fixedly secured on the top and bottom of the shaft 5 are plates 9 and 10, respectively. ln Figures 2 andy 3 we have shown the construction at the top of the machine in connection with the plate 9 and as the construction at the bottom of the machine in the'main is identical with that at the top, a description of the upper mechanism lwill su'lce for both. Such slight differences as exist at the bottoni of the machine will be indicated later. The plate 9 is provided on its upper side and at opposite edges with what may be termed guards 11 which extend from points directly in line with the driven shaft 5, when the latter is in its normal position,` to the end of the plate. These guards are preferably formed integral with the plate 9 and each provides la top rail 12 whichis parallel with and directly over a corresponding part 13 of the plate 9, which, in effect, is also a rail as the portion of the plate between the rails 13 is cut away. Between the rails 12 and 13 is a space 14 in which works the roller 15. The guards 11 being connected to the opposite ends of the tracks 13, provide stops 16 and 17 to limit the movement of the roller in either direction. As shown particularly in Figures 2.v

and 4, the roller 15 is provided at opposite ends with annular ianges 13 whichr embrace the outer sides of the rails 12 and 13 at opposite sides of the plate and serve to prevent lateral movement of the roller. Preferably one of these flanged ends is removable to permit the insertion of the roller in the space 14. As more clearly shown by Figure. 4, the roller 15 is centrally recessed to provide a portion 19 of reduced diameter and end portions 20 which form rolling contact with the rails 13. Secured at one end to the reduced portion 19 of roller 15` is a cable 21, the opposite end of which is seL cured to a slide bar 22. (Figures 2 and 3.) ySecured in the end of the plate 9 between the stops 17 is a cross-bar Secured in this crossbar near the opposite ends thereof, are the ends of cables 24 which are passed once around the end portions 20 of the-roller Withinthe rails 12, 13, and have their opposite ends secured to the plate 9 as indicated at Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 2o indicates the drive shaft which is driven through the medium of a pulley 2 and which has intermediate its length, a universal joint 23. The lower end of the drive shaft 2G is connected to the slide bar 22 previously referred to, as indicated at 2T, in Figures 2 and 3. This slide bar 22 is adapted to be moved by the roller 15 through the pull of the cable 21, as hereinafter explained, and constitutes a compensating` member for maintaining the drive shaft 26 in its normal vertical position. rFhe slide bar 22 is slidably mounted at one end in the ross-bar and at its other end beyondv the connection 27" in a bracket 28 projecting upward from the plate 9. Eeyond this bracket the slide b'ar is provided with a reduced portion 29 which extends throughout a recessed extension 30 of the plate 9 and is surrounded by a coil. spring 31 which is confined between a nut 32 on 'the end of the reduced portion of the slide bar and the bracket 232 lis shown by Figure 3, the movement of the slide bar 22 outward under the influence of roller 15 and cable 21, is against the ra sistance of the spring 31. rl`he manner of moving the slide bar 22 by means of the roller 15 and cable 21 will now be described'.

ln operation, With the drive shaft rotating, the plate 9 and the shaft 5 will be rotated and, due to centrifugal force, the roller 1o will start to move outward and the plansifter 1 will be caused thereby to begin its If yratory movement, as the initial movement of the roller will slightly move the shaft oifcenter with reference to the driven shaft 5, 'this movement of the drivingshaft bei-ng effected by a slight movement of the slide bar 22 to which the driving shaft connected. The shaft 2G will practically be restored immediately to its vertical position b v the movement outward. of the driven shaft 5 in the opposite direction, and theri after as the said driven shaft gradually moves to its maximum distance oil-center, which movement, in practice, is approximately two inches, the out-ward movement ot the roller correspondingly moves the slide bar and prevents the shalt from being moved in the direction ot' lthe driven shaft 5, thus maintaining the vertical position or the said driving shaft. The manner in which the roller 15 cti-operating with the cable Q1, will operate to pull the slide bar Q2 outward against the resistance of spring 31, will be understood by referring' to Figure 5. Here it will be seen that the pull of the cable 21 is on the bottom of the reduced portion 19 oit the roller, while the roller itselrn rests upon the portions of greater diameter. Thus the iorce is applied at a point 33 of the roller above the point 3st, which is the pivot of the roller, or the point at which it rests on the rail 13. The tendency, theretore, of pull on the cable 21 is not to unwind said cable and cause the roller to move outward, but on the contrary, to continuously over-balance said roller or cause it to turn on its pivot 34 and thus produce a rolling movement of the roller in the direction oit' pull on the cable 21. The converse this proposition is equally true; that is to say, provided tension is maintained on the cord 21, a force applied to the roller 13 tending,v to move it so as to unroll the cable 21 from the periphery of its reduced portion, will exert a pull in the opposite direction on the cord 21 and if the pull on the cable is of a yieldable character such, for example, as that exerted by a spring, and the torce tending to move the roller outward is greater than the tension exerted by the spring, then the outward movement of the roller will exert such a pull on the cable 21 as will cause it to compress the spring. lt will new be seen, by referring to Figures 2 and 3, that as the roller 15 moves outward by centrifugal i'orce, the cable Q1, which is secured at its end to the slide bar 22, will begin to pull said slide bar and to move it outward against the resistance oiE spring 31. 'lhis will continue until the roller has reached the limit oi'.5 its movement, determined by the stops 17, at which point the spring 31 will be compressed to its maximum and the slide bar 22 will have been moved the proportionate distance indicated by comparing its normal position in Figure 2, with its extreme outward position 'illustrated in liigure 3. lWhen the power is shut oli and the speed otation oit sha'tt 26 diminishes, the power or spring' 31 soon becomes greater than the centrifugal force acting on the roller 15, and the spring' 31, through the slide bar Q2, now acts to pull on the cable 21 and thus, in the manner previously described with reiferi-incr` o Figure 5. to roll the roller 15 inward or toward the stops 1G.

It maybe stated that the above operation of the roller 15 can readily be den'ionstrated by using an ordinary spool and winding a few turns ot cotton thereon at the center and pulling on the cotton or thread on the end projecting tieni the bottom of the spool. in obg'ect heavier than a spool but havin` a central diameter considerably less than the ends, will prove more satisfactory however.

lli/'e have stated that the olii-center move-- ment of the driven shaft .is approximately two inches. it will be evident, ot course, that in order 'to maintain the shaft 26 vertical, the slide bar 22 to which it connected must be moved two inches in the opposite direction. ilithout going into the mathematics involved, we would state that in practice we use a roller whose larger diameter is six inches and whose smaller diameter (the diameter of the part 19) is live and one-third inches. The circumference of the reduced portion, therefore, will be approximately two inches less than that of the larger portion. The cable 21 is given one turn, or approzi'imately so, about the reduced portion of the roller, and the distance between the stops 16 and 17 is such that the roller is stopped when the cable has iinwound the distance equal to the circniniference of the reduced portion 19. this distance is less by two inches than the distance measured by the rotation ot the portions 20, it Vt'ollows that when the roller 15 has reached the stop 1i', the bar 22 will be moved outward a distance equal to the distance between the two cireumiferences, or two inches.

lt is desirable that the outward movement ot roller 15 shall be fairly gradual so that the roller vwill reach the stop 1T when the shaft 5 has reached the period of its maXiniuni rotation. This movement oro the roller i5 is dependent uponits weight and to regulate this, we form the roller 15 with recesses in either end and projectingY outward from the bottom oii each recess a rod on which may be mounted weights 5F56, a greater or less number oit weights being' used, as eis perience determines to be necessary.

rilhe construction at the bottoni of the plan-sitter and the operation involved, is precisely the same as that above described with reference to the construction at the top oi" the plan-sifter, with the exception that at the bottom there is no driving` shaft, the slide bar 22 being here provided on its under side with a pin 37 which worlrs in a recessed bloclr 3T secured on the floor 39 oit the building. rlhe purpose of the pin 37 and block 38 is merely to prevent undue throw oi the plan-sitter at the bottom and the pin is moved by the bar i2; to keep it in alignment with the driving shaft :2G in the same maiiner as described with reternce to the said driving shaft.

it will be understood, of course, that, as

shown in the drawings, the roller l5 when in its normal position, is to one side of the axis of the driven shaft, so that said roller is immediately subject to the action of centrifugal force when the driving shaft is placed in operation and the eccentric movement of the driven shaft therefore occurs but a. short interval after the beginning of its rotation.. The initial movement of the driving shaft, therefore, above referred to, is practically theoretical and under `any circumstances negligible. As in the case of the construction of our prior application above referred to, the machine is always self-balancing from the start of the operation until the driven shaft has attained the maximum sneed of rotation, tie movement in the kpresent case, however, being possibly more uniform and even than in the case ofthe prior construction referred to.

We claim:

1. In driving mechanism for producing gyratory movement of a suspended body, in combination with a driven shaft on which said body is pivotally mounted, a drive shaft, a differential drive connection between said drive and driven shafts, a rolling weight mounted on said driven shaft and operatively connected with said driving connection and operating by an outward. movement under centrifugal force when said drive shaft is rotated to produce a lateral movement of the driven shaft with respect to the driving shaft in one direction and a corresponding movement of the driving connection in the opposite direction.

ln combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein, a rolling weight operatively Inounted on said driven shaft and located to one side of the anis thereof, whereby when said driven shaftis rotated, said rolling weight will be rmoved outward under centrifugal action to change the center of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a l,circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft, a driving connection between said driving-and driven shafts, and a cable, or the like, wound on said rolling weight and connected to said driving connection, whereby the latter will be movable by said rolling weight in its outward movement in one direction to an amount propor tional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite direction.

ln combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein, a roller, acting as a weight, having one portion of less circumference than the remainder of the roller, and operatively mounted on the driven shaft to one side of the axis thereof, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, said roller will be moved outward under centrifugal action to change thecenter of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a' circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft,y a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts, and a cable, or the-lilac, wound on the portion of the roller of less circumference and connected to said driving connection, whereby the latter will be movable by said roller in its outward movement 'in one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in :an opposite direction.. I

ln combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted tl'ierein, a roller, acting as a weight, lhaving a reduced portion and operativelj,r mounted on said driven shaft to one side of the anis thereof, whereby when said driven shaft rotated, said rolling weight will be moved. outward under centrifugal action to changel the center of rotation of said driven sh. and cause it to travel in a circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft, a driving connection between said dri Ing and driven shafts and maintained in a position under spring pressure, and a eine, or the like, wound on the reduced portion of said roller and having its outer end passed from the under side ofthe roller and connected to said driving connection, whereby the latter will be movable against the resist ance of its spring by said roller in its outward movement in. one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite dir action.

5. lin combination with a suspended body having therein, a rolling` weight having a reduced portion and operatively mounted on said driven shaft to one side of the axis thereof, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, said roller will be moved outward under centrifugal action to change the center of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft, a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts and maintained in a given position under spring pressure, and a cable, or the like, wound on the reduced portion of said roller and l'iaving its outer end passed from a driven shaft pivotally mounted luO the under side thereof and connected to said ie latter willl occasioned by the outward the driving shaft effected by the pull of said cable.

G. ln combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein, a rollingweight having; a reduced portion and operatively mounted on said driven shaft to one side of the axis thereof, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, said roller will be moved outward under centrifugal action to change the center of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven sh ft, a: thriving con-- nection between said fi 'fing and driven shafts and maintained in a given position under spring pressure, a cable, or the like, wound on the reduced portion of said roller and having its outer end passed. from the under side thereof and connected to said drivingr connection, whereby the latter will be movable against the resistance of its spring by said roller in its out-ward movement in one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite direction, the difference in diameters between the reduced and main portions of said roller being so proportioned that when the cable has unwound therefrom through one complete revolution of the roller, the

extent of off-center movement of the driven shaft occasioned by the outward movement of the roller, will correspond to the movement in the opposite direction of the driving shaft edected by the pull of said cable, and means for limiting the outward movement of said roller.

7. In combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein. a roller, acting` as a weight, having a centrally reduced portion and operatively mounted on said driven shaft to one side of the axis thereof, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, said roller will be moved outward under centrifugal action to change the center of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft, a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts maintained in a given position under spring pressure, a cable, or the like, wound on said roller and having its free end passed from the bottoni thereof and connected to said driving' connection, whereby the latter will. be movable by said roller in its outward movement in one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite direction, and cables, or the like, wound once upon said roller on opposite sides of said reduced portion and having their eues 'tixedly secured with reference to said roller, whereby in they movement of said roller, said cables will be wound up from one side and unwound from the other of said roller and thereby serve to guide the same in its movement in a right line.

8. In combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein, a plate, or the like, secured on one end of said driven shaft, a roller, acting as a weight, having a centrally reduced portion and operatively mounted on said plate to one side of the axis of said driven shaft, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, said roller will be moved outward under centrifugal action to change the center of rotation of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a circular path, a spring-controlled slide bar mounted on said plate, a driving shaft having one end connected to said slide bar for rotating' said driven shaft, and a cable, or the like, wound on the reduced portion of said roller and having,- its outer end passed from the outer side thereof and connected, to said slide bar, whereby the latter will be movable against the resistance of its spring by said roller in its outward movement in one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite direction and thus maintain the driving shaft in a relatively fixed position.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

BURTON NEAL. GEORGE H.. HEBEBRAND. 

